Young Heroes
by lavendarfrown
Summary: Follows The Maruaders from their fifth year onward. It's my personal mission to try to make the story as canon as possible.
1. Pureblood Parties

Sirius Black hated parties. Well, not all parties. In fact, he thought he'd rather enjoy them if he'd been invited to anyone other than his own family. As it was, Sirius had had to suffer a grand total of five of his parents' parties this summer, and would have refused flat out if he hadn't known that this would be the last one before returning to Hogwarts.

_And then I'm never coming back_. Sirius thought wryly as he buttoned the collar on his black dress robes. _Then I'll be free to do as I please. Maybe I'll even marry a muggle. _

The thought of his mother's face if she found out her son had married a muggle made him smile. Her rage at finding that the photos of muggle girls in bikinis had been permanently stuck to his wall had been the highlight of his summer.

It had been then that Sirius had decided that this would be his last summer at Number Twelve Grimmuald Place. He didn't care about money. He had a feeling he'd been disinherited the moment he joined the Gryffindor table his first day at Hogwarts. As for leaving his family behind, he decided there were worse things.

"Sirius!" His mother called from down the hall, her voice already agitated.

"Coming!" He hollered back.

As Sirius descended the staircase he saw his entire family standing in the hall. They looked like a perfect pureblood picture. Even Sirius had to admit that the Blacks were a handsome family. His brother Regulus was young, but held himself with a pride that came from being told since birth that he was exceptional. His father was tall, with a strong jaw and a thick black mustache. Sirius had always thought he looked like a muggle film star. His father never appreciated the comparison.

Lastly, standing with her arms crossed and her lips pursed, was his mother. Walburga Black had been a beauty in her youth, but years of frowning had made her face grow hard and lined. She was a slight woman, with her hair pulled back tightly in a bun and long black dress robes. She had insisted that the entire family match for their parties, which more often than not meant that they were all in black. Sirius thought they looked like a funeral procession.

"It's about time!" She said hotly. "The guests will be apparating at the gate any second."

"Lovely." Sirius mumbled.

"Now you listen here," Walburga said, eyes narrowed. "I don't want any of your nonsense."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sirius smirked.

"I don't want you to bait your cousins. I don't want you parading your Gryffindor banners around like it's a point of pride. And under no circumstances do I want you to talk politics at the dinner table." She replied.

His mother was referring, not so subtly, to the last Black family party which ended in Sirius storming away from the dinner table, insisting that the party guests were all "a bunch of stinking Death Eaters."

"Oh so we're all going to sit around and not talk about how wizards are disappearing left and right? We're not going to talk about how the world is falling apart and people are dying all because of Lord Vold-"

"Don't say his name!" His mother shrieked. "This is exactly what I was talking about! The Riverses are back from France and will be here tonight and if you embarrass us in front of them I swear on Merlin's grave-"

"All you care about is your stupid pureblood world! Who cares about those Rivers prats? They're just another bunch of pureblood idiots! You don't even care that muggles and muggle borns are dying every day! I think you like it!" Sirius shouted.

His mother's eyes narrowed, "It is no concern of mine what happens to muggles and mudbloods."

"Your mother is right," Orion Black chimed in. "You could do with a little more respect for your family and where you came from. We gave you your name and you besmirch it every day with your silliness."

"Compassion isn't silliness," Sirius replied. "And I'm proud to be in Gryffindor."

"I swear to you, boy, if you step one toe out of line you'll never see Hogwarts or your little Gryffindor buddies ever again. If you embarrass your mother tonight I will send you to Durmstrang, which is what we ought to have done with you in the first place." His father spoke calmly, never breaking Sirius' gaze.

His son knew well enough to take him seriously.

"Fine," Sirius mumbled, defeated.

Just then a loud crack marked the arrival of their house elf, Kreacher.

"If you please, miss," He said, bowing low. "The guests are just outside the gate."

"Thank you, Kreacher. See them inside."

Sirius took his place by the door and mumbled greetings to a parade of what would surely be considered the elite of wizard society.

He hated them all.

His cousins were particularly loathsome. Bellatrix and Narcissa slid in behind their parents. The two Black girls were beloved by their family. They sat and smiled and simpered and complimented all the right people. They wore Slytherin colors with pride and never associated with anyone with less than pureblood status. The were, in the eyes of this particular crowd, a picture of perfection.

There had been, of course, a third Black sister, but nobody dared ask after Andromeda. She had run away with a muggle only a year before and was subsequently blasted off the Black family tree forever. Incidentally, she had been the only person Sirius had ever liked at any of these parties and he had felt her loss ever since her departure.

"And how is my dear little cousin today?" Bellatrix smirked as she met him at the stairs.

It only took once glance for Sirius to see the enormous silver ring gleaming from Bellatrix's finger.

"So Rodolphus proposed, then? Sirius asked, making sure it sounded far from a congratulations.

"Yes," Bellatrix smiled. "He should be here any minute now. My parents, of course, are very pleased."

"Of course." Sirius replied.

"You know, little cousin, it wouldn't hurt for you to find a nice pureblood girl yourself. What do you think, Cissy?"

Narcissa looked at Sirius as though she'd hardly noticed he was there. The prettier of the two, Narcissa was two years out of school and had been living the life of the perfect pureblood girl that she had been raised to be. For Narcissa, life was a whirlwind of parties and proposals and she had made herself notorious by turning them all down. She seemed to think it made her mysterious.

"Oh I don' know," Narcissa replied. "I hardly think a nice pureblood girl would want him given how he carries on at school."

Narcissa and Sirius had overlapped by a few years at Hogwarts and she had made sure he knew that she was thoroughly unimpressed by his choice of friends.

"Oh I'm sure if you just keep quiet someone will have him. He is very handsome." Bellatrix said.

"You know, some people think about things other than marriage," Sirius spat, tired of being spoken about as if he wasn't directly in front of them. "Some people aren't just thinking about themselves all the time. Some people are opening their eyes and looking at the world for what it is."

"Oh please Sirius. You're a fifteen year old boy what could you possibly be talking about?" Narcissa laughed.

"Oh I don't know. Maybe Lord Voldemort?" Sirius replied.

The effect on the girls was immediate. Narcissa let out a small gasp and put her hand to her mouth while Bellatrix's eyes narrowed and she thrust her hand into her pocket and pulled out her wand. Before Sirius knew what was happening, his cousin had her wand pointed directly at his heart.

"You nasty little toerag!" She shrieked. Bellatrix was famous for letting her temper get the best of her.

Sirius tried to remain calm. He was sure his cousin wouldn't hex him at a party full of important pureblood families.

_Then again, _Sirius thought. _There are no guarantees with Bellatrix._

"Did I touch a nerve, cousin?" He managed to get out.

"You will speak of The Dark Lord with respect or you won't speak of him at all!" She jabbed the wand hard up into his chin.

"The Dark Lord?" Sirius asked. "My god, Bellatrix! You're one of them aren't you?"

"All I can say, _dear_ cousin, is that I am going to bring The House of Black glory beyond-"

"Bella!" Narcissa hissed. "This conversation is not wise."

"Why?" Bellatrix laughed. "Who cares what this sniveling little blood traitor thinks?"

"Because that sniveling little blood traitor has a mouth. And a big one at that. Let's go, Bella before his nastiness ruins the party for all of us."

Bellatrix sneered at her cousin and left the room.

Sirius watched them walk out into the garden in silence. So that was it. Bellatrix had joined the Death Eaters. He wasn't surprised. Hurting others had always been one of Bella's favorite past times, and her fiancee Rodolphus was no different. Sirius remembered when he was just a boy that Rodolphus and his cronies had cornered him and locked him in a vanishing cabinet. He passed between the cabinet and it's twin for hours until his mother had finally noticed he was gone.

_I'd bet the whole lot of them are Death Eaters now. _Sirius thought.

"You know, everyone is looking for you at the party." A voice said from behind him.

Sirius turned to see one of the only purebloods at the party to whom he was not related.

"Hello Lucretia." Sirius grumbled.

Lucretia Rivers was, for all intents and purposes, the princess of the purebloods. She could trace her lineage all the way back to Melusine, the water witch who had reached such notoriety during the 1400s that even muggles knew her name, and for this reasons pureblood clamored to get in the good graces of the Rivers family. As the family's only heir, Lucretia was particularly prized.

Sirius had known Lucretia for as long as he could remember, but he hadn't seen much of her since they'd both been accepted to Hogwarts. As predicted, she had been put in Slytherin house, but rather remarkably she didn't seem to care about blood at all. She played the part well, attending all the required parties and even posed for _Witch Weekly_'s annual _Pretty and Pureblood_ edition (effectively ending any relationship she'd had with Bellatrix and Narcissa, who were both outraged at having been overlooked.)

Once school began, however, Lucretia seemed to be living an entirely different life. She had Slytherin friends, of course, but she also made friends outside of her house. And not just purebloods. In fact, Sirius had noticed the previous year that Lucretia had struck up a friendship with a very pretty muggle born girl called Lily Evans with whom his best friend James was particularly taken.

"Look at that," James had said one afternoon after spotting the two girls laying out by the lake, "The two prettiest girls in the whole school lying on the same blanket. What a sight."

Sirius had merely shrugged. He didn't like to think too much about Lucretia. As a rule, he was wary of anyone who's motivations weren't immediately clear to him.

"You know these parties are a lot less boring if you just pop a smile on and try to join them." She said matter-of-factly.

"Well that's easy for you to say. They _like_ you." Sirius replied.

"Well who's fault is that?" Lucretia laughed. "It doesn't really seem like you're trying to get anyone to like you."

"Actually, you're right, I'm not." Sirius said, turning his back to her. He was hoping that his rudeness would make her leave. Her presence always irked him.

After a moment Sirius turned back around to see Lucretia still standing there.

"What do you want?" He asked. "I'm not going to-what was it?-pop a smile on and join the party or whatever it is you came here to try and get me to do."

Lucretia furrowed her brown and stood up straight. "Well, I actually came here to tell you that you're not the only person at this party with that's-what was it?-opening their eyes and looking at the world."

Sirius was at a loss for what to say.

"Oh-ho," Lucretia smirked. "Didn't expect that, did you?"

"I-I-Well-Were you listening to my conversation with Bellatrix?" He sputtered.

"I've made it my business to know everyone else's. In these trying times it's really the only way to stay safe." She said loftily.

"So you're spying, then?" Sirius asked.

"I prefer to think of it as listening," She smiled. "And if you listened, you would know a thing or two yourself and you wouldn't be caught looking so stupid in front of the prettiest girl at school."

"I'm not stupid! What are you talking about? And-and you're not the prettiest girl at school!" He shouted back, feeling very juvenile.

Lucretia smiled and tossed her long black curls over her shoulder, proving her point.

"You are, and I am." She winked at him and walked out of the room.

Sirius spent the rest of the party in his room, trying to dislodge Lucretia Rivers' smile from his memory.

The Hogwarts Express could not have come soon enough in Sirius' opinion. For the entirety of the walk through the station Sirius had endured his mother's vitriol regarding the muggles around them.

"You'd think they would find a more dignified way to send our children to school." She sniffed. "If it were up to _me_ we'd keep our children away from muggles as much as possible. Just the stink alone is enough to keep me away. Leave the train for the mudbloods and their nasty muggle parents I say."

"James!" Sirius called, spying a lanky boy with messy black hair hugging his parents before getting onto the train.

"Oi Sirius!" James smiled back. His parents, who Sirius had met during his brief stays with the Potters on previous summers, beamed at him from their son's side.

Sirius had spent more nights than he could remember privately resenting James for the unconditional love of his parents. Sirius had never thought much about his family's coldness until he'd been introduced to the warmth of the Potters. After his first stay with the Potters the shortcomings of his own family had seemed so stark the were unavoidable. He had to get away.

"What are you waiting for?" James called. "Moony's saving us a seat!"

Sirius turned to his mother and father again. Regulus had already changed into his Slytherin robes and was kissing his mother on the cheek. She gave him a rare smile as she wished him a happy term. Then she turned to Sirius.

"Well, off you go." She said.

"Have a good term." His father said stiffly.

Sirius paused, knowing that his plan was to never return to Grimmuald Place. He looked at his mother, studying the hard lines of her face and the dark grey eyes that he knew that they shared. She would never speak to him again. He knew that was certain. His father would surely follow suit.

And what about Regulus? There was no doubt in his mind that Walburga would forbid him to speak with his brother, and the two of them had never been particularly close. What would it be like seeing him at school? Would they pretend they didn't know each other? Would they act as though they didn't share a name?

"Get a move on! The Potter boy is right. You'll miss the train and I'd rather not have to take you to Hogwarts myself." His mother gave his shoulder a tiny push.

"Bye, then." Sirius grumbled, dragging his trunk behind him.

_Well at least I know I made the right decision_. Sirius thought bitterly.

He met James just as he hopped onto the train.

"Saying a tearful goodbye to your dear old mum, then?" James laughed. Sirius had told him of his plan to run away earlier in the summer.

Sirius smiled, "Nah. The old bat's got no idea what's coming. Though I doubt she'll be anything but pleased…"

James laughed and threw open the door to the nearest compartment where Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were waiting them. Peter was looking plump and perplexed as ever. He sat with an open Potions textbook in his lap. Remus had clearly been trying to help him get a head start on the year. It was common knowledge that Peter had barely scraped by with Potions last year, and with OWLs looming in the distance, he was going to need all the help that he could get.

Remus smiled as his friends entered the car. Sirius felt a familiar pang in his stomach as he looked at his friend's eager smile. There was always something in his expression that said _I'm so glad that you all are my friends_ and it made Sirius profoundly uncomfortable.

"Together at last!" James declared, taking a seat across from Lupin and Pettigrew.

"How were your summers, boys?" Sirius propped his feet up on his trunk.

"Ouiet." Remus replied.

The Lupins, who Sirius had only met briefly once, seemed like nice enough people, but they were still very protective of their young son and his condition and rarely let him enjoy his holidays in the same way that his friends did. They had yet to let him visit James, even for a weekend.

"Great!" Peter said, stuffing his face with sweets his mother had sent with him. "Mum and dad took me on a whole tour of Europe. We went loads of different places. They said it would help me with my education. My History of Magic marks were dismal last year…"

"So it's all hands on deck to get Peter through his OWLs , then?" Sirius laughed.

"Hate to break it to you, mate, but it can't be done. I expect they'll let you stay on as caretaker, though. Old Filch is a nasty little squib if ever I saw one and you can _do_ magic-however poorly." James held out his hand expectantly and Peter filled it with sweets.

"Do you guys really think I'm hopeless?" Peter asked nervously.

"James was only joking," Remus said quickly. "You'll be fine, Peter."

"Moony's right," James said, realizing his lack of tact. "That complete _troll_ Mulciber graduated last year and I was always surprised he could walk and talk at the same time."

"Speaking of Slytherins," Sirius added. "I wonder how our old pal Snivellus is holding up."

James smiled a very particular smile that Sirius had come to associate with a detention in his future.

"Oh, I'm sure old Snivelly will turn up soon."

"Couldn't be soon enough," Sirius said. "I've got a few hexes I'd like to try."

"I ran into Mundungus Fletcher on Diagon Alley and he was telling me about -_Levicorpus_ or something like that-supposed to make somebody hang up in the air. He said it's been popping up a lot among the sixth years."

"Perfect." Sirius smiled.

Remus cleared his throat.

"My mum also mentioned one called the bat bogey hex," Peter supplied through a mouthful of sweets. "You can imagine what that does…"

"Good looking out, Peter!" James punched the air. "Old Snivelly won't know what's coming!"

Remus cleared his throat again, this time slightly louder.

"Is there something you'd like to say, Moony?" James asked.

"Well…I mean not really it's just…" Remus began.

"Get out with it, Moony. There's only a few hours till Hogwarts and I'd like to get a nap in." Sirius yawned loudly.

"Well," Remus sat up straighter and looked up at his two friends. "It's just that I've been made prefect this year and-"

"Prefect?" James exclaimed. "That's brilliant!"

Remus looked taken aback, "Well…thank you…"

"Now we don't have to worry about anybody sticking their nose in our business while we're helping with your…err…furry little problem." James said.

"Well that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about," Remus took a deep breath. "I just think we should…you know…lay low a bit."

"_Lay low_?" James looked flabbergasted.

"You mean like, don't boast about what we're doing?" Peter asked stupidly.

"He means," Sirius growled. "That we should keep our noses clean so ickle Moony won't lose his shiny new badge."

"That's not what I meant," Remus said through gritted teeth. "And how am I not surprised that none of you managed a congratulations?"

Sirius narrowed his eyes, "Why? Because you're Dumbledore's little boy now? You're just as involved in our troublemaking as we are!"

"I don't get up to _half_ of what you lot get into and you know it!" Remus raised his voice.

"Oh so James and I are knicking books on animagi for fun, are we?" Sirius retarded.

"Oi!" James intervened. "Remus, you're right. Congratulations. We'll try to keep our business…err…under wraps."

James shot an imploring look at Sirius and he backed down, "Sorry about that Moony. It's been a long summer."

"'Sal right," Remus replied. "You know I'm grateful for what you all are doing."

James clapped his two friends on the back, "Now shake hands, boys."

If there was anything to be said for James Potter, it was that he hated seeing his friends fight. In fact, it was clear to anyone who met him that James' fierce loyalty was one of his most admirable characteristics.

The boys spent the rest of the train ride sharing stories about their summers and speculating about their classmates as they passed by the carriage.

"Urgh Amelia Bones does _not_ look well." Sirius said after she stopped outside their compartment to buy some sweets.

Though not a remarkable looking girl even on the best of days, Amelia seemed unusually shabby. Her hair hung limply around her shoulders and she looked distinctly as though she had lost more weight than she ought.

"You'll want to lay off her," James said quietly. "She lost her brother and a cousin to some Death Eaters this summer. They've no idea who did it. Terrible thing."

Sirius felt his stomach drop. Of _course_ he wouldn't have heard about something like that. His circle remained blissfully unconcerned about the world around them. They were pureblood. They were safe. They were happy, even, at the thought of been solidified as the top members of wizarding society. Perhaps one of the murderers had sat across from Sirius at dinner.

"I had no idea." Sirius said quietly.

"It's getting worse out there," Remus said darkly. "Have you been reading _The Daily Prophet_? Someone new disappears nearly every day now."

"My mum and dad try not to talk about it in front of me. They even stopped our subscription to _The Prophet_ because they couldn't stand all the bad news. People they knew dying every day and what not," James said. "But I've been sneaking _The Prophet_ anyway and I overheard my mum telling my dad that she thinks The Ministry will fall sooner rather than later."

Peter looked around nervously, "You don't think-He-that is to say-You Know Who-would ever come to Hogwarts, do you?"

"Don't be daft, Peter!" Sirius laughed. "Hogwarts is about the only place on Earth that's safe, what with Dumbledore and all."

"I'm just glad I'm not muggleborn," Peter said quietly. "That's who they're after, isn't it?"

"It's disgusting." Remus said quietly.

"What I don't understand," James said. "Is how anybody could go to school with muggleborns or see them at work every day and still think they're not real wizards. I mean, muggles I understand because most people don't ever really meet any-not that that makes it alright to kill them or anything." He added quickly

Sirius snorted. Sometimes James could be so good he was naive. He came from a pureblood family that didn't care about blood status and so he couldn't understand any other way to be.

"People want to believe their special," Sirius grumbled. "If you raise someone up by telling them they were born better than everyone else most of 'em will do anything to maintain that."

There was a moment of silence after Sirius' words.

"Hogwarts." Remus grunted.

James stood up. "Well, time to get ready boys. People will be wanting to see us, I imagine."

Remus laughed.

"Laugh all you want, Moony, but I have it on good authority that we are beloved." James said proudly.

"Oh yeah, and who told you that?"

"Marlene Mckinnon in what most would consider to be a _very passionate _love letter sent to me this summer."

"No way!' Peter exclaimed eagerly. "And she talked about all of us?"

"She said, if I'm remembering correctly, that all the girls in school are _dying_ to go out with any of us." James said. "The love letter was really to the four of us rather than just me. She said people call us The Marauders."

"The Marauders," Sirius repeated. "I like that."

"Even _me_," Peter asked. "I mean-you think there are girls who would go out with _me_?"

"Well, she didn't specifically exclude you, Wormy, so I imagine you've got a shot." James winked.

Peter flushed scarlet and seemed to dove deep into thought. All four of the boys dressed silently, each privately consumed by the contents of Marlene Mckinnon's letter and the rising prospects of the year to come.

The Sorting Ceremony went fairly quickly, with James commenting frequently that the new first years seemed a bit peckish.

"We'll have to liven 'em up, eh Sirius?" James joked as he took a large gulp of pumpkin juice.

"Planning to jinx first years now, James?" A cool voice said from behind them. "i can't say I'm surprised."

The boys looked up to see a very pretty girl with dark red hair staring down at them. Lily Evans was very good at looking unimpressed.

"Eavesdropping now are we, Evans?" James replied with a small shake in his voice, his hand shooting up to muss his hair.

Sirius laughed to himself. If there was anyone who had the power to make James Potter lose his cool, it was Lily Evans.

"Well i'm not sure if Remus told you but we've both been made prefect this year," Lily shot Remus a significant look. "And while _he_ may not be interested in stopping you from torturing first years, _I _on the other hand-"

"I don't intend to let them torture first years." Remus said quietly.

"Well I should hope not!" She said hotly. "I can't do this on my own, you know."

"I know." He answered.

"Well, good," Lily smiled, immediately reminding them all how charming she could be, "because the other prefects are all rather dull and I was looking forward to having you at the meetings."

"Thanks." Remus said sincerely.

"Speaking of which," She added. "You missed the first meeting on the train today."

Lupin put his palm to his face, "Lily you're right I'm so sorry. I've been…er…out of sorts lately."

Lily looked sympathetic. It was common knowledge among the student body that Remus Lupin was sickly and made frequent trips home.

"It's alright," Lily said. "But you owe me one when I feel like skiving."

"Deal." Remus smiled.

"Who are the other prefects, then?" James asked loudly, clearly irritated at being ignored by Lily for so long.

"Ravenclaw's got that Hopkirk boy who's name always escapes me and Elladora Smith-who's rather stuck up if you ask me. Remus and I for Gryffindor, of course, and then they actually have both the Moor twins for Hufflepuff, which I've heard is the first time in Hogwarts History that's ever happened, but they're both so _dull_."

"What about Slytherin?" James asked.

Lily paused. It seemed obvious to Sirius that she had been purposely avoiding the subject, but James wasn't one for recognizing subtlety.

"Oh, well they're fine actually," Lily said a little too casually. "It's Lucretia Rivers-who's actually quite nice and Sev so, you know, they'll be alright."

Lily looked directly at James; daring him to say something against Severus in front of her. It was well known that the two had grown up together and Lily had been fiercely protective of her friend ever since their arrival at Hogwarts.

James, to his credit, said nothing, though Sirius saw a distinct flash in his eye at the mention of his old rival's name.

Lily straightened out her skirt, "Well, like I said, leave the first years alone and-well-I'll see you 'round I suppose."

"See you." Remus said.

"Yeah, see you 'round, Evans!" James called after her.

The boys remained quiet for a moment until James said dreamily, "You know, I imagine being a prefect wouldn't be so bad."

The three boys burst out laughing and carried their good mood and optimism all the way up to their dormitories.


	2. By the Lake

Months had passed and James Potter was beginning to grow restless. Despite being promised a year of unmatched academic rigor, James found that his classes had yet to pose a challenge for either him or his friends (Peter being the obvious exception.) The first Quidditch game of the year had come and gone, and James had found himself easily met by the Hufflepuff team.

The Hufflepuffs had never been much of a match for Gryffindor, but all the students agreed that this game had been a particularly harsh embarrassment. James, who had been itching for a challenge, had walked off the pitch angrier than if he'd actually lost (which, he liked to remind his friends, he had never done.) To blow off steam, he and Sirius had pillaged the kitchens so fiercely that they had earned two weeks worth detentions scrubbing clean the bathrooms on the second floor, which had ultimately led to another week of detentions and a lifetime ban on use of said bathrooms after they sent Moaning Myrtle into such a fit of hysterics that the house ghosts had to be sent into the sewers to coax her out.

James had thought that this was all good fun, and never ceased to be satisfied by the exasperated look McGonagall gave him every time he came into her office. All in all James thought the year had gotten off to a smashing start.

_But now I'm bored. _He sulked, flipping through pages of _Witch Weekly_ and pulling out photos of the prettiest winking faces.

He put down his magazine and shuffled around the room, wondering where Sirius was or when Remus would get off of his prefect duties. Peter, he knew, was meeting a study group in the library, a fact that Sirius and James had not let him live down since they'd discovered them meeting.

"A _study group_, Peter? Really?" Sirius laughed.

"Why don't you just pay one of us to sit the exam for you?" James suggested. "Mind you, it'd have to be about a thousand galleons from all the emotional damage that would come from pretending to be you."

"Come on, guys! Don't laugh! If I don't pass my OWLs my mum will have my head!" Peter pleaded.

"It's great, Peter." Remus said, looking up from his own studies. "We could all do with getting a bit more serious."

"I am Sirius." Said Sirius.

He and James roared with laughter.

"I mean it," Lupin said, closing his book. "The whole world is at war and it might do well to learn up while we're here because it looks like we're going to need all the help we can get once we're out of this place."

"Oh come off it," Sirius scoffed. "We've got two years! The war'll be over by then."

James, who had suddenly become very serious himself, spoke again, "You know, I reckon Moony's right."

"Really?" Peter piped up. "Because Jeremy Abbott said that anybody was welcome and-"

"No not about your bloody study group, Peter! About the war!"

"Oh…" Peter recoiled.

"Listen, I've been thinking," James began. "This animagus thing-it could be useful couldn't it? Not just for Moony's little problem but for life, you know? Being able to turn into an animal whenever we want? Could help if any of us are ever on the run."

"Why would any of us ever be on the run?" Peter asked nervously.

"You'll be hiding from me, Pettigrew, because you annoyed me by asking so many questions." Sirius growled.

"Becoming an animagus is easier said than done," Lupin said. "I've been reading up on it during prefect duty and its an immensely complicated process."

"Sounds like a challenge!" James puffed out his chest. "A challenge only The Marauders can meet!"

And from that day on James had been focused on nothing so much as becoming an animagus. His zealousness had even infected Sirius, who made it a point to never feel strongly about anything.

The two had taken to pouring over books in the library looking for any mention of animagi and how they are made. They'd had no luck for about a month, until one day Peter burst into the dormitory holding a battered old book entitled _The Wizard Behind the Wand: How Transfiguring Yourself Can Aid in Finding Yourself_

"I've got it!" He panted (he had evidently run all the way from the library to the Gryffindor tower.) "I've got the book!"

"Brilliant, Peter!" James exclaimed. "Absolutely brilliant. We should get started right away!"

This, it seemed, was easier said than done.

Firstly, becoming an animagus required an immense amount of concentration that was not native to a group of fifteen year old boys and seemed a near impossibility for _this_ group of fifteen year old boys who quickly found that they could hardy sit still for a moment without laughing.

"It says here that we need to clear our minds, focusing only on the-what was it?-deeper desires of our souls-and our animagus form will reveal itself to us." James read.

The boys then attempted to sit silently in their dormitory, hoping for a breakthrough.

"This is _boring_." Sirius said after a five minute silence. "And James you breathe too loud."

"I am trying to concentrate," James began, his eyes still closed, "On the inner desires of my soul."

"Well if that's the case then I guess we're all just waiting around for James to turn into a Lily Evans that wants to go on a date with him." Peter said.

There was a moment of pause after which Sirius and Remus both doubled over with laughter. James, who was not used to this kind of abuse from Peter of all people, stood up in a huff.

"Well I guess I'm the only person here who takes this seriously! I guess I'm the only one who wants us to become animagi so forget it!" James slammed _Transfiguration and You _closed and turned around to make a dramatic exit when Remus spoke.

"That's not true," He said quietly. "I very much want you all to become animagi."

James felt a pang in his heart that reminded him of any time he'd heard a very sad story. Remus was one of the only people on earth who could make him feel that way.

James spent a lot of time thinking about Remus. To James, Remus seemed as though he might be the saddest person that he'd ever met. He certainly carried with him a sort of quiet melancholy that never quite left, even when they were all together and laughing. At first, this quality had annoyed James. He didn't understand why Remus couldn't just be _cheerful. _He was at Hogwarts. He had friends. No one knew about his condition and some girls even fancied him. For James, this seemed like more than anyone-especially a werewolf-could ever ask for.

The one day he was visiting Diagon Alley with his family when he saw a man being thrown violently from The Leaky Cauldron.

"Get out and stay out, wolf!" The proprietor yelled as he slammed the door in the man's face.

"What was that?" James asked his mother as she shuffled them quickly past.

"What a nasty scene," She shook her head. "Pity."

"I don't get it," James said incredulously.

"That man was a werewolf, James." His father said.

"No I understand _that_, but why would they throw him out of The Leaky Cauldron? It's not a full moon. It's the day time!"

Mr. and Mrs. Potter laughed.

"You're a good boy, James," His mother smiled. "You see the good in everyone."

"Werewolves are dangerous, son," His father said, putting his hand on his shoulder. "It's hard to know what they're capable of."

"It's best they stick to their own kind." His mother said.

James froze. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His parents, who had always been his shining example of kind hearted open mindedness, were prejudiced against werewolves. Shame welled up inside him. It was something that he'd never felt before. He looked at the smiling faces of his parents as they chatted about shops with no idea of the profound effect they'd had on their son and the ball of shame that had been forming in his chest exploded into love for his friend.

Even still, James said nothing. He walked silently all the way to Florean Fortescues. He managed a "thank you" when his mother handed him and ice cream and forced conversation with his father as they passed Quality Quidditch supplies, but never once in all that time did he stop them and say, "Remus Lupin is a werewolf and he's my best friend."

He would carry the guilt with him for the rest of his life.

Unfortunately for James and his friends, over a month had passed since they'd first sat down to try and become animagi and none of them felt as though they'd come any closer to achieving their goal. Remus remained their constant motivator and sometimes cheerleader as best he could, but James felt that even his faith was waning.

James was toiling over this very problem when Sirius finally slid into the room.

"Where've you been?" James asked.

Sirius shrugged, "Out 'n about."

"Out? Where?" James was incredulous.

"Sorry, mum, but i'm going to keep that to myself thanks." Sirius laughed, throwing his bag onto his bed.

"I nicked this for you from the kitchen on my way back," Sirius said before James could press him further about where he'd been. "The house elves were all asking for you. They were practically wetting themselves at the thought of you."

"Well I do have a way with elves." James smiled, opening the bundle of treats Sirius had given him.

"I've got a house elf," Sirius grumbled. "But he's ruddy useless if you ask me."

"I'd love to have a house elf again," James sighed. "We had one for years when I was a kid. Her name was Blemmy. She always helped get me out of trouble whenever I snuck food or played with dad's wand while he was asleep."

"What happened to her?" Sirius asked, the familiar envy that always seemed to accompany James' stories from home began to stir inside him.

"She died," James said sadly. "My mum was real shook up about it. She'd had Blemmy since she was a kid. We buried her in the backyard under this old tree she used to like."

"When our house elves die we chop off their heads and put them on the wall. Sirius replied, leaving James with nothing to say.

The two boys shuffled around their dormitory for a bit, cracking open textbooks only to decide that they weren't so desperately bored that they needed to study just yet. Sirius was busy making pretty little bubbles pop out of the tip of his wand and float around the room when James, who had settled himself by the window, saw a flash of red hair settling itself down by the lake and decided that going outside didn't seem like such a bad idea.

"I'll be back," James said, hurrying down to the lake.

When he arrived, he spotted Lily Evans sitting prettily on a blanket reading her Transfiguration textbook. When James had spotted her out the window, he was sure that she was alone, but in the time it had taken to get onto the grounds, she had been joined by two friends. To her left, was a very pretty girl he knew was called Lucretia that he had never spoken to, and to her right, much to James' dismay, was Severus Snape.

Not knowing quite what to do with himself now that he saw Lily with her friends, James pulled his old snitch out of his pocket and began playing with it to pass the time, hoping that Lily might look over and notice how really _great_ he was at catching it and then he wouldn't have to approach her at all.

_If it was just Lucretia it would be fine. _James thought. _But she had to bring Snivellus around..._

James saw his greasy hair flopping onto his own Transfiguration book as he and Lily worked out their homework together and James felt an intense urge to hex him right then and there. He couldn't just walk up and talk to Lily with Snivelly hanging around. James had just about made the decision to turn around and wait to catch Lily on her own when she spotted him.

"James if you want to come talk to me then come over and do it because, if you can't tell, I'm trying to study." Lily had hardly looked up from her book at all.

"Well if you can't tell, Evans, I'm a little busy with Quidditch practice." He caught the snitch spectacularly in his left hand and flashed a smile in her direction. For an instant, he thought he saw Snape's hand twitch toward his wand.

"Busy showing off, you mean," Lily laughed. "Have you done a single assignment since we got here or have you and your buddies decided that you're so much better than all the rest of us that you don't have to bother with exams?"

James thought that this was rather harsh. And why was his study schedule any of Lily's business anyway?

Before he could reply, however, Lily spoke again.

"I'm sorry, I'm only joking with you," Lily said sincerely.

"Oh-err-it's alright…" James had felt ready for her rudeness, but it was her kindness that always caught him off guard. He felt himself blushing.

"Lucretia, do you know James Potter?" Lily said politely.

"Not officially," Lucretia smiled. "Though I do have the pleasure of knowing your friend Sirius. I rather like him."

Snape snorted into his textbook.

"Got something to say, Snivellus?" James rounded on him quickly.

Before either of them could speak another word, Snape was on his feet and both of their wands were out.

"James! Severus! Stop it!" Lily cried. "Can't you two stop it for one second?"

"Why don't you go back to playing with your precious snitch?" Snape spat.

"Oh you would like that, wouldn't you?" James smiled. "I'd let you play with it too, Snivelly, if i didn't think you'd get grease all over it. Makes them harder to catch, you see…"

Snape raised his wand slightly higher.

"Severus, _stop it_." Lily whispered, but she had lost the two boys' attention entirely.

"I'm onto you," Snape said, his voice little above a whisper. "You and your friends."

"What are you talking about?" James laughed. "Following us around trying to get some pointers on how to get people to actually like you? Well I hate to break to you, Sev, but I don't think that's in the cards."

"Remus Lupin," The sides of Snape's mouth twitched upward. "Certainly does get sick a lot, doesn't he?"

James froze. He gripped his wand tighter and looked Snape right in the eyes, "He's ill."

"Every month? On a full-"

"_PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" _James yelled before Snape could finish his sentence. His arms and legs stuck to his sides. His jaw snapped shut. He was motionless and expressionless but for his eyes, which burned with hatred.

"_Wingardium Leviosa_." He said, lifting Snape's motionless body above their heads. A crowd had gathered now, and most seemed rather impressed at James' ability to lift such a large object so high above the ground. He gave his fans a little wave and he was sure that he heard Lucretia laugh.

Lily, however, was unamused.

"Stop it! Put him down!" She cried.

"I'll let him down." James said casually. "I just need to have a word with him."

He brought Snape's body down so that it was level with his face and whispered in his ear.

"I don't know where you've gotten your information or why you're meddling in other people's lives, but if you so much as _think_ about saying Remus Lupin's name I will make your life here so miserable that you'll wish you'd been a squib."

With one swift motion James released both the body bind and the levitation spells, letting Snape fall the remaining five feet onto the ground.

"Severus!" Lily cried. "Are you alright."

Snape opened his mouth to answer, but instead vomited spectacularly all over their study blanket.

The crowd roared with laughter and Lucretia Rivers jumped so high that James briefly thought that something had used a levitation spell on her as well.

"Ugh! Severus! Control yourself! It's just a _body bind_ for god's sake!" Lucretia took out her wand and quickly cleaned up the mess, shooting disdainful looks at the pale and sputtering Snape.

"Lucy is that necessary?" Lily asked. "He's ill. Let's go to the hospital wing."

Lily helped Snape to his feet and shot James an angry look as they passed.

"I'd appreciate it if from now on _you_ would let us study in peace and take your pathetic snitch elsewhere."

James was flabbergasted. It seemed to him that Snape was clearly the aggressor here. Was it his fault that he was just a better dueler?

"You're the one who talked to me!" He called after her. "The grounds are for everyone, you know! I can practice Quidditch where I want!"

"Don't bother," Lucretia said. "She's just so-so-protective of that little slimeball."

Hearing a friend of Lily's insulting Snape made James feel much better.

"What does she see in him, anyway?" James asked, watching her red ponytail disappear into the castle.

"Oh she doesn't _fancy_ him or anything," Lucretia laughed. "I mean, how could anyone?"

"So what is it?" James asked, finally turning to face Lucretia.

She was very pretty in a classic, pureblood sort of way that had never really been James' cup of tea. Even still, he couldn't deny that her long, dark hair seemed shinier that most other girls and her face was perfectly symmetric.

"Oh I think she just feels kind of sorry for him," Lucretia shrugged. "Lily can be _such_ a bleeding heart sometimes, you know. Sad people make her go all doe eyed and then she feels like she has to save them or something. I think she likes feeling like she can make someone happy."

James nodded. This was very valuable information.

"I imagine that's why she doesn't like you very much." Lucretia added.

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"Well you have everything, don't you?" Lucretia smiled. "You're the handsome pureblood Quidditch star with lots of friends and who pulls good marks without ever opening a textbook. You don't _need_ her."

Lucretia picked up her books and smiled, "Oh don't be so sorry for yourself. You know she's the only girl at this school who wouldn't have you."

With that she swept off across the lawn to continue her studying elsewhere.

James took a seat by the lake in the exact place that Lily had just been and wondered if what Lucretia had said was true. Lily didn't want him because she thought he didn't need her. James found this thought rather odd, since he had been feeling more and more like she was the only thing he _did_ need since their third year.

He remembered the day well. He had just won his first Quidditch match with Gryffindor and his heart was soaring. The crowd below was chanting his name and he emphatically decided to do a victory lap around the pitch. As he neared the Gryffindor section, he feasted his eyes on his adoring classmates, raised his wand above his head, and shot off red and gold sparks. As the sparks danced above the heads of his classmates his eyes fell upon Lily. She was smiling and reaching up to grab the pretty dancing sparks. Several of them had tangled up in her hair so that all around her there was a bright light. James hung in mid-air. He was entranced. How could he have not realized that he'd been sharing a common room with the most beautiful girl in the world for nearly _three years_? She caught his eye just as she caught a golden spark. She smiled at him and waved. "Congratulations!" She called.

And for the first time, James Potter felt unsteady on his broomstick.

James began spending more and more time down by the lake. Lily never called out to him again. In fact, he felt that she was making a point of not looking at him whenever he came round because he could hardly see why anyone would stare so intensely at a Transfiguration textbook unless they were determined not to look at something else.

Either way, the Marauders had now claimed the tree just to the right of the lake as their own, and held court there as often as they could. It became known that if you were looking for Sirius, James, Remus, or Peter, your best bet was that very tree, where you would find at least one of the infamous Marauders taking a nap or lounging casually. Often times, however, it was just James, catching and re-catching his snitch and shooting furtive glances at the other side of the lake, where Lily often settled with her friends.

One such day, James had grown tired of playing with his snitch and decided to settle himself up against the tree for a nap. He let his mind go delightfully blank. He felt the cool breeze play upon his face and imagined what it would be like to live in the Forbidden Forest. How would it feel to be a centaur or a unicorn or some such thing? To not have a care in the word. To know nothing or war or classes or Lily Evans or any of it. He imagined himself running. He could run fast. He could hear things, too, distant things that he couldn't hear as just James Potter. There were more smells in the air than ever before. Other animals in the forest got out of his path. They respected him, and he bowed his head to them in return. His head was heavy. He had antlers.

James' eyes shot open. He leapt to his feet and grabbed his bag. He had to find his friends immediately.

He had finally found his animagus.


	3. The Wolf

Remus Lupin had gotten used to being alone a long time ago. In fact, he had once considered loneliness to be his destiny. He didn't mind sitting quietly and reading. He didn't need conversation and he'd been taught at a young age to be wary of crowds.

He still woke up some mornings sure that his acceptance to Hogwarts had all been a dream. How could he be so lucky to have been born under the only Headmaster who would even consider having him? How could it be that he, Remus Lupin, would be the first werewolf ever to be educated at Hogwarts? It seemed almost too good to be true. Surely, there could be nothing better than this; nothing more for which to hope.

And then he'd made friends.

_Real _friends. And they liked him. And what's more, everybody seemed to like them. And just like that, Remus Lupin realized that not only was he a Hogwarts student, not only had he managed to make friends, but he also _popular_. This, combined with all he rest, seemed almost absurd. He couldn't accept it. Surely, soon enough, all of this would come crashing down.

It was due to his belief that happiness was only ever temporary that Lupin had said nothing as James, Sirius, and Peter started disappearing. They missed lunches and skived off their classes, and Remus, though hurt, never asked them why he wasn't invited. He had come to terms with the fact that they were growing apart. Surely his friends had realized the ridiculousness of his inclusion in their group. How could three fresh-faced, strong young men remain friends with someone as damaged as he was? Someone who had to hide away when their was a full moon…

"Er…excuse me…?" A small voice said behind him.

Remus looked up from his book and saw a girl that he recognized vaguely as being a fourth year Ravenclaw. On either side of her were two friends who seemed to be overcome with giggles. He looked down at his shirt to make sure he hadn't spilled ink on himself.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Oh well, I was just…just wondering if I could borrow that book when you're done?" She said the last bit very quickly, staring determinedly at her feet.

"Oh? This?" Remus looked down at the book he was reading. It was called _Hairy Snout, Human Heart_. He'd checked it out after their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher briefly mentioned it as being one of the only non-hunting related books on werewolves ever published.

What a mousy fourth year would want with the book, Remus had no idea, but he certainly didn't want to seem attached to it, so he chose not to ask any questions.

"Sure," He said. "I was just about finished anyway."

He closed the book and began to pack up his bag.

"Oh, no! You don't have to go!" She said, rather loudly. Her friends, who had finally realized that they couldn't contain themselves, hurried out of the library.

"It's really no trouble," Remus replied. "I was just reading it to pass the time. Rather boring really…"

"Oh…well…errr…I'm Victoria by the way. Victoria Thomas." She stuck out her hand.

"I'm Remus." He shook her hand awkwardly.

The two of them stood in silence for a moment.

"I was also wondering…" The girl began, but just then he saw three familiar figures in the doorway.

"Oi, Moony!" James called.

They hadn't sought out his company in at least two weeks. What could they want now?

_They probably want to find out where the prefects will be on duty so they can go down the kitchens_. Remus thought bitterly. They'd stopped inviting Remus to the kitchens ever since he'd gotten his badge.

"I just see you here a lot and you always seemed so interesting I just thought…" The girl Victoria was still talking but Remus could hardly hear her.

"Hey I'm sorry but I've got to run," Remus said, picking up his bags. "Let me know what you think of the book!"

"Oh, alright…" Victoria said, looking crestfallen.

Remus met James just outside the library doors. Just around the corner, he saw Sirius and Peter waiting.

"Who was that girl?" James asked.

"Dunno," Remus shrugged. "She just wanted to borrow a book."

"They always do." Sirius winked.

The four of them stood awkwardly for a moment. Each of them knew that they hadn't been together as The Marauders for over two weeks. The only question now was, why?

For Remus, the change had been abrupt. One day they were all together, and they next day they were gone. Remus had gone over it hundreds of times in his head. Three weeks ago they had been working together; pouring over books to become animagi. Remus thought he'd been helpful. Couldn't they see that no one on earth wanted them to succeed more than him? Did they have any idea what the prospect of having company during his transformations would mean for him?

_Of course they don't_. Remus thought. And maybe that fact in itself was the problem. Maybe they'd grown tired of having a werewolf as a friend. At first being friends with Remus probably seemed cool and rebellious. They'd even dubbed him "Moony" and had called him so affectionately for years. But still, perhaps they'd grown tired of him. He certainly knew that his friends loved a little risk, but he also knew that they were frivolous and grew bored easily. Perhaps his friendship shine had worn off.

James, as usual, was the first to speak, "Moony we've got something to tell you."

Remus braced himself.

"But we can't tell you here." Sirius said quietly.

"We'll have to go down to the forest." James said quickly. "I've got the cloak."

"Right now?" Remus asked.

"Everyone's about to go to dinner. Now is the best time." James replied seriously.

They wrapped the cloak around themselves and Remus performed a tricky little spell he'd learned that would disillusion only their feet, which, after five years of growth, were fully visible under the cloak's hem.

Remus looked around at their eager faces and felt his heart beat with excitement. It felt the same way that it always did just before their best adventures.

As the four boys walked down the the forest, Remus breathed in the smell of the grounds. One of the interesting things about being a werewolf was that he could smell _everything_. He could even hear a fair distance away. The forest, in particular, awakened something in him.

He'd never mentioned it, but their late night excursions into the forest were his favorite type of adventures.

"Alright, here's good." James said quietly as they reached a clearing a little ways into the forest.

They took off the cloak and once again stood in awkward silence.

"We know we've been err…unavailable lately," James began.

Remus nodded.

"But, well, we were putting something together and well, to be honest we just didn't want to get your hopes up until it was done."

"Let's just show him." Sirius grumbled.

"Well spoken, Padfoot." said James.

"Padfoot?" Remus asked. "What is a Padfoot?"

"You'll see," James smiled. "Let's show him."

"Stand back a bit, would you?" Sirius asked.

Remus took a few steps back and his friends stood before him.

"So we figured since we've been calling you Moony for ages now, it was time we all got our own nicknames," James began. "So, I'm Prongs."

And then, remarkably, right before Remus' very eyes, James transformed. Suddenly in his place stood a magnificent stag. He lifted his head up tall and looked directly into his eyes and there was no mistaking that it was his friend.

Before Remus had a chance to speak. Sirius broke in.

"And I'm Padfoot," He said, turning immediately into a shaggy black dog that, once again, was unmistakably still Sirius.

Remus looked then to Peter, who seemed to be concentrating very hard.

"I _just _got it," He admitted. "That's why we had to wait so long."

Padfoot barked.

"Alright, alright," Peter said, "So…So I'm wormtail."

Peter's face turned very red, and for a moment Remus thought he was going to pass out. Then, suddenly, Peter was gone. In his place sat a happy little rat squeaking up at him.

Remus began to laugh. He laughed and he laughed and he couldn't stop. They'd done it. They'd become animagi. Their lives were about to change forever.

They boys transformed back and joined him in his laughter. Without speaking, they all knew that they had just embarked on their greatest scheme of all. They had a magnificent future ahead of them.

"So I guess the only question is," Sirius said finally, "When is the next full moon?"

Remus smiled, "This Friday."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The week crawled by. The only way any of them could pass the time was to go over ad nauseam exactly how they were going to get into the Shrieking Shack.

"So…so the knot is where, again?" Womtail asked nervously.

"Right at the base," Remus said. "You'll be able to get to it n problem."

"And the tree just…just stops?"

"For a bit." Remus replied.

"How is it only Tuesday?" Sirius groaned.

"I'm so damn bored." James spat.

He had been noticeably irritable, overwhelmed with anticipation for the weekend's events.

Everyone and everything at Hogwarts seemed unimportant. The announcement of Professor Slughorn's annual Christmas Party had set off a flurry of gossip shot around the school over which members of The Slug Club were going and with whom. James had never received an invitation to The Slug Club, and was particularly resentful of it for this very reason. Slughorn's events usually set James off on what Sirius had dubbed "swearing fits" which couldn't be calmed down until he was inevitably invited by some girl. The others would then scrounge up their own dates (often without Peter) and they'd all make a night of it (with the exception of James' date, who would quickly find out she was merely the audience to James' failed courtship of Lily Evans.)

This time, however, James had taken no notice at all. Not even Lily could excite him more than the prospect of the full moon.

One afternoon after prefect duty, Lily and Remus had run into James just outside the Gryffindor common room.

"Hello," He said distractedly.

Remus noticed Lily stand up a little bit straighter.

"Where are you off to?" She asked.

"To take a walk," He answered. "I'm so damn _bored_."

"Well Slughorn's party is coming up," Lily said quickly. "You know, next month?"

James hardly looked up before shuffling past them, "Oh yeah, right."

He hurried down the hallway and Lily, who (with good reason) had probably been expecting him to ask her, looked a little hurt.

Then suddenly, it was Friday, and Remus was making the trip up to Professor McGonagall's office where she and Dumbledore would accompany him to The Shrieking Shack.

Lupin was the only member of The Marauders who had actually _met _ Dumbledore. The others had merely seen him. They heard him give the welcome address each year and saw him every night at the feast, but none of them had ever actually _spoken_ with him. Once, when Sirius and James had exploded a box of fireworks in the library, they had been threatened with a visit to Dumbledore's office, but otherwise it seemed that the petty troublemaking of students did not merit the Headmaster's attention.

Remus, on the other hand, knew Dumbledore as well as any student could hope to know him. He remembered the day when Dumbledore had come to visit his family, personally welcoming Remus to Hogwarts.

"I want you to know that you are welcome here," He said, handing Remus his acceptance letter. "Hogwarts is safe for any student who wants to learn."

Remus had merely nodded. Words could not express what he was feeling. Dumbledore understood.

"It is up to you if you wish to tell others about your condition or if you want to keep it to yourself," Dumbledore continued. "But know that if you do decide to let your classmates know, I will make it my personal business to see to it that you are treated with respect."

Remus always knew that Dumbledore had told the truth that day. He was sure that, while at Hogwarts, he was safe from prejudice. He had continued to hide his condition because it was the world _outside_ Hogwarts that frightened him.

"Jelly Slugs," Professor McGonagall said as they approached the entrance to Dumbledore's office. The statue guarding it quickly hopped aside and Remus found himself, once again, in the circular office belonging to Albus Dumbledore.

"Hello, Remus." The Headmaster said, looking up from a stack of intimidating looking parchment.

"Hello, Professor." He said quietly. For some reason speaking loudly in front of Dumbledore had always seemed inappropriate.

"I trust you are ready for tonight." He said, slowly rising from his chair.

"Readier than ever." Remus answered truthfully.

Dumbledore, with a curious sort of gleam in his eye, led both Remus and Professor McGonagall to the circular staircase in the middle of the office. The three climbed onto the first step and Dumbledore tapped the banister lightly with his wand.

"The Whomping Willow." He said quietly.

The staircase had begun to spin and Remus knew that in moment they would find themselves spit out onto the lawn just in front of the tree. The first time they had used this mode of transportation Remus had been so surprised he'd hardly been able to speak until Dumbledore, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder, said, "One of the many privileges of being the Headmaster."

Dumbledore shot sparks from the end of his wand to prod the knot at the base of the tree. Its branches stopped moving. Remus looked around. He wondered if Sirius, James, and Peter were already waiting in the bushes and watching him.

They headed down the tunnel that Remus had come to know so well and stood momentarily into the shabby entrance of the Shrieking Shack.

McGonagall, who was always particularly kind to Remus, gave his shoulders a slight squeeze.

"As always, I will not minimize the burden you must bear tonight," Dumbledore said. "But know that Hogwarts is proud of you, and you will bear this load the same way that you've born every other. You are stronger than you know, Remus."

For a moment, Remus felt guilty about lying to Dumbledore. For a wild moment he even thought of telling him everything. But, no. They had worked too hard. Everything was already in place. His friends had become animagi. It was already done.

Dumbledore and McGonagall slipped out of the small door and locked it behind them. Remus waited silently. His friends would arrive soon, but how soon? He looked quickly out the window. The moon was almost at its highest point in the sky. Soon he would transform.

Suddenly, he heard the latch on the door shaking. The tiny door swung open and in stumbled a dog, a stag, and a tiny, squeaking rat. They looked up at him. Something about them told him distinctly that they were grinning.

"Don't change back," He said quickly. "It'll happen soon."

No sooner had the words come out of his mouth did his back arch unnaturally. He could feel the moonlight on his skin.

Then came the pain. It was pain unlike anything Remus had ever felt. Every inch of him was hot, burning flesh. He could feel himself stretching, being pulled apart. His fingers shot out into long claws. He could feel his face lengthening. His eyes rolled into the back of his head. He wanted blood. He wanted to kill. He wanted to rip a living thing to pieces.

Then it stopped. Remus blinked, but he was no longer Remus. He was The Wolf again. He felt a poke at his side.

A deer.

A familiar deer.

He should kill it. He bared his fangs.

The deer stomped once.

He heard a growl. There was a dog here, too.

This dog was fierce. This dog was…his friend?

The Wolf sniffed the air. Something familiar was there as well.

He heard a squeak. He looked to the corner of the room. There was a small rat. The rat had a name. His name was Peter.

Peter.

The Wolf blinked again but suddenly he wasn't himself. The stag nudged him again with his antlers.

Prongs.

The Wolf blinked again. The dog growled.

_Sirius Black._

And suddenly The Wolf was Remus again.


	4. Just a Girl

Lily Evans hadn't had a moment to think since arriving at Hogwarts, and it was starting to get to her. She could feel her attention waning as she and Lucretia hurried down the hall to have dinner with The Slug Club.

"So Avery makes all of Slytherin," Lucretia was saying, "Except for Severus, of course."

Lily tuned back in, "What?"

Lucretia rolled her eyes, "I was _saying_ that Avery asking me if he could be my date to Slughorn's party means that every boy in Slytherin, apart from Severus, who everyone knows is in love with _you_, has asked me."

Lily laughed. Lucretia had been more and more insistent regarding Severus' feelings for Lily ever since the start of term.

"Lucy, if I've told you once I've told you a hundred times…"

"You're just _friends_," Lucretia cut in. "I'm not doubting that. You _are _just friends, but he is also in love with you and it's obvious to everyone."

Lily just shook her head. Arguing with Lucretia was nearly impossible, and she was too tired to try anyway.

"Why aren't you going with any of these Slytherin boys, again?" Lily asked, attempting to change the subject.

"It's not _just _Slytherins," Lucretia said quickly. "I've gotten at least one from every house."

"And this is something you're proud of, is it?" Lily teased.

Lucretia laughed, "Its not my fault that men find me so charming that they would like to spend all night with me at a party. Besides, the best thing any of us can do these days is collect allies."

Lily shook her head, "You are such a Slytherin sometimes I can't stand it. You sound like Slughorn."

"That may be Lil," Lucretia said darkly, "But you'd do well to tap into your Slytherin side as well. You'll notice that good Slytherins always come out of these things unscathed."

Lucretia talked about the war more than anyone Lily knew. She seemed to be constantly preoccupied with the safety of her friends and family, and spent an unusual amount of time pouring over newspapers for updates. Lucretia, with her wide network of magical friends and acquaintances, was not only protected, but vulnerable. She was convinced that soon enough she would lose someone close to her. "Being pureblood only counts for so much." She would often say.

Lily always found it odd that she, a muggleborn, felt so disconnected from the fight. Wasn't she in more danger than anyone? Shouldn't she be worried about her family?

For some reason, Lily had always felt shielded from the war. She saw the headlines, but none of them had ever touched her. She attributed it to the fact that, outside of Hogwars, she didn't have any magical friends at all. All of her neighbors (apart from Sev) were muggles. All of her own family and her family's friends were muggles. During the summer, at least, it seemed as though she could leave the whole world of it behind.

Sometimes the war busted through. Like last summer when entire ship full of muggles disappeared. It had been a cruise ship. Lily could only imagine that it was full of families. Official reports said that one moment is was on course and the next it was gone. Those on shore had reported a bright green light during the time of the disappearance, but the two events could not be linked. Muggle authorities were baffled as to where the cruise ship had gone. Lily knew it was never coming back.

Lily shook her head again. She couldn't think about that kind of thing now. She was a student. She was just a girl.

"So who from Gryffindor asked you?" Lily said, trying to bring herself back to reality.

"Oh," Lucretia rolled her eyes, "That one _hardly_ counts."

"How do you mean?" They had arrived at Slughorn's corridor and Lily was just about to give the signature knock that would allow them entrance into his office when Lucretia answered.

"It was just James Potter," Lucretia shook her head, "I'm sure he was just doing it to annoy you. You know how he always tries to get into the party just so he can follow you around all night. Honestly I don't know what he was thinking."

Lily paused. That _did_ annoy her. It annoyed her a lot. It annoyed her significantly more than she wanted to let on to Lucretia, who, in addition to her interest in Lily's relationship with Severus, was constantly pushing the issue of James Potter.

"Oh don't look so sour, Lil," Lucretia smiled. "It was obviously only to annoy you."

"I'm not sour!" Lily said. Her voice unnaturally high pitched.

"What could I possibly care what James Potter or any of his stupid friends the- - - what do they call themselves again?"

"The Marauders." Lucretia interjected.

"Right. What do I care what James Potter or the _marauders_ do with their time. I wish he'd just leave me alone honestly."

Lucretia grinned.

"Stop grinning at me!" Lily insisted. "I know what you're thinking."

"Well you have to admit Lily, he is _handsome_." Lucretia smiled.

"So what if he's handsome?" Lily couldn't deny it.

"And he's the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team," Lucretia added. "You _love_ Quidditch, Lil."

"Just because I love Quidditch does not mean I love watching James Potter show off in front of the whole school!"

"You do like it at least a _little_ bit, though?" Lucretia teased. "Come on, I see you at the games."

Lily opened her mouth and then closed it again. Of course she liked seeing her team win at Quidditch. Doesn't everyone? That doesn't mean that she had feelings for _James Potter_.

_I have feelings for Quidditch, if anything. _Lily thought angrily.

"What about you and Sirius Black?" Lily snapped back. "You don't think I see you doodling little SB's all over your parchment? Eyeing him over by the lake? Conveniently choosing seats in front of him and flipping your hair all lesson?"

For a moment Lucretia looked hurt, but being that she was Lucretia Rivers, showing weakness, even to the girl who was rapidly becoming her only real friend, was not an option.

"Of course I have a crush on Sirius Black, Lily, don't be ridiculous," Lucretia replied airily. "He's the handsomest boy in school. Why shouldn't I go out with him?"

Lily, who was always shocked by Lucretia's ability to turn the tables, couldn't think of what to say next.

Luckily, she didn't have to.

The door to the office suddenly burst open and Slughorn stood before them, holding a large glass of wine, the redness of his face indicating that he had already had quite a bit to drink. He smiled down at the two girls.

"Ah ladies!" He said. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't be joining us! Please, do come in."

Slughorn stepped aside. Just as the two girls passed through the archway Lucretia whispered in Lily's ear, "Just because you deny yourself the things that you want, doesn't mean that everybody else has to."

Lily and Lucretia had met in The Slug Club, which both girls had agreed contained some fairly dull characters apart from themselves. Their friendship had started off slowly, first being contained only to meetings, where it wasn't strange at all to see a pureblood Slytherin girl schmoozing with a muggleborn Gryffindor. Then, out of the blue, Lucretia had started popping up to say hello to Lily in the halls. She invited Lily along with several other girls on Hogsmede trip which turned out to be quite fun. In fact, Lucretia had put together an entire network of friends, with herself and Lily at the head. Lily, who had never sought popularity, was shocked at how abrupt the change was. People _adored_ Lucretia, and, for that reason, had started to take a much greater interest in Lily.

"Its a blood thing," Lucretia had said the first time Lily asked about the strange adoration of her fans. "They think I'm some sort of super witch or something."

Lily, who knew very little about 'blood things,' pressed on, "Well…are you?"

Lucretia laughed, "Well if I was I wouldn't tell you, my little muggleborn friend. These things are very secretive you see."

The two girls had laughed then, but Lily had always felt distinctly that Lucretia had a secret. She was a very, _very _private person, and Lily, despite their closeness, had always felt that she was being kept at arm's length.

By the time they took a seat at Slughorn's round table, Lucretia had already started on her first glass of wine and smiled at Lily to show that their fight in the corridor was already forgotten. This was, of course, very necessary if the two girls were to get through the next hour of listening to the other members of The Slug Club vying for each other's attentions.

Dirk Cresswell, another muggleborn and a particular favorite of Slughorn's, was regaling one side of the table with a tale of how he'd toured Europe with a hand-picked Ministry approved group of students while Greta Catchlove, a particularly odious Ravenclaw girl, was explaining the details of her dress for the Christmas party to anyone who would listen.

"Its going to be elf made," She said haughtily. "Every stitch sewn by my family's own house elf. Her name is Wenda. She'd do anything I told her to honestly she loves me."

Lucretia rolled her eyes, "She's a _house elf_, Greta, of course she does everything you say. It doesn't matter if she likes you."

Greta turned toward Lucretia. This would not be the first public spat between the two of them.

This time, Greta decided that ignoring Lucretia was the best course of action, "I just can't wait to see the look on my date's face. He's going to be _so _pleased. I don't think any other girl has anything like it in all of Hogwarts."

"I wish I could have an elf made dress," Alice Walker, a round faced seventh year girl from Gryffindor, looked sullenly down at her desk.

Her boyfriend, Frank Longbottom, quickly put his arm around her, "What do you need an elf made dress for? I see you in your school things every day and I still asked you out, didn't I?"

Lily smiled and looked around the table for someone, _anyone_, that she could talk to.

"What time is it?" Lucretia whispered. "If I have to listen to Greta for another minute I think I'll lose my mind."

"We've still got another half hour before its safe to leave," Lily said, checking the clock, "And try not to look to the other end of the table because Lockhart is trying to get the attention of one of us and I'd rather not find out who."

Lucretia snorted into her napkin, "He flat out _cornered _me the other day before charms to ask me to the party so, I'd imagine he's trying to have a go at you next."

Lily angled her chair away from Lockhart quickly and the girls burst into a fit of giggles.

"It is too bad he's such a prat," Lucretia mused. "He's quite handsome."

"Isn't that _exactly_ what I was just saying about James Potter?" Lily replied.

"James Potter?" Greta called across the table, "What about him?"

"Why don't you mind your business, Catchlove? Or do you have to stick your nose into everything Lily and I do?" Lucretia spat.

Lily held back a laugh. Greta's desire to emulate Lily and Lucretia had been obvious for some time now. According to Lucretia, Greta was a member of a lower-level pureblood family that was always trying to scrape its way to the top. "She couldn't even get herself into Slytherin. She's a nobody," Lucretia told Lily and then had said, in no uncertain terms, that if she wanted an ugly git for a friend, she'd go to the mountains and pick up a troll.

Lily had urged Lucretia in vain to leave Greta alone, but it seemed that their enmity was as set as Severus and James.

_My friends and their rivalries_. Lily thought.

"Well I was just wondering why you and your friend would be talking about _my_ date to the Christmas party." Greta said loftily.

Lily froze. She felt Lucretia's eyes narrow.

Greta Catchlove was going to the Christmas Party with James Potter? The very same James Potter who had not failed to ask Lily to a party for the past two years? And yet, it seemed now that James had asked everyone _but_ her. Lily felt a strange sort of sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She noticed for the first time that Greta Catchlove was just as ugly as Lucretia had always said she was.

"Shocked Lily?" Greta laughed.

"What?" The mention of her name had shocked her out of the thoughts that were brewing in her mind involving Greta and a hex she'd read about that would make your breath reek of dragon dung.

"I mean I know the two of you had a fling," Greta began, "But of course you can't expect that kind of thing to go on forever. In fact he said he was very keen on taking me."

"Why don't you shut your fat mouth, Greta?" Lucretia said rather loudly. "If James Potter is prat enough to ask a cow to the Christmas Party then who am I to contemplate what he needs the milk for?"

The entire table had heard that time. Slughorn, who was never one to break up fights between his students, preferring instead to hear which outwitted the other, pretended to have fallen momentarily deaf.

Greta was shaking with anger now, "You take that back."

"No, I don't think I will," Lucretia replied simply. "You are an absolute _cow_ Greta Catchlove. I know it. You know it, and James Potter knows it. If you're kidding yourself into thinking that this is anything more than another one of his attempts to get to Lily then you're a bigger git than I thought, and I'm placing you at the flobberworm level right now so…"

"You can't talk to me like that!" Greta was standing now. "You- - - You think you're invincible! You think you're the Queen of the Purebloods, but you're not! You don't think anybody's noticed who you pal around with these days?"

Lucretia's eyes were like slits, "You watch what you say to me."

"Why?" Greta sounded manic, almost insane, "You don't think people talk about it? How you barely spend time in the Slytherin common room anymore…"

"Not like you've ever spent any time there." Lucretia scoffed.

"…palling around with every low level know nothing that crawls in to lick your boots…"

"As if you haven't tried."

Greta was growing wilder and wilder, Lily was sure Slughorn was about to step in when Greta turned to her instead.

"And YOU!" She pointed wildly in Lily's face. "You think just because you hang out with her that you're royalty too? You think because you have a pretty face and can do a few spells that that will save you? You are NOTHING! You are biding your time!"

Lily looked around wildly. She wasn't one to back down from a fight but she'd hoped that Slughorn would jump in by now.

"Ladies, ladies," He said feebly.

"Why don't you settle down, Greta?" Lily said firmly. "I'm not here to fight with you."

"Oh, you aren't?" Greta hissed. "How lucky. You're lucky you can even do magic you - - - you - - - mudblood!"

At the sound of the word the room erupted. Several members of The Slug Club shrieked. Slughorn rushed toward their end of the table to subdue Greta, but not quickly enough to stop Lucretia from drawing her wand.

"_MUTATIO SKILLUS!" _She cried, hitting Greta right between the eyes. As Slughorn pulled her from the room, they caught a glimpse of her head twisting up into something that resembled a lighthouse.

Lucretia was standing in place. Her wand still pointed to where the space between Greta's eyes hand been. Lily stood up. She gently lowered her friend's wand.

"It's okay." Lily said quietly.

"No," Lucretia said firmly. She turned to look Lily right in the eyes."Its not okay. No one can ever call you that, Lily. You can't let anyone call you that."

"It's okay." Lily repeated.

"It's _not_ okay!" Lucretia said more forcefully. "That's exactly what we're fighting out there. Exactly that. You don't get it because you've been hidden away, Lil! You go home for the holidays and then you come here. You haven't really lived in the wizarding world yet. You don't get it."

"I know it's _bad_, Lucy." Lily replied indignantly. "I'm the one who just got called one! I know it's bad."

"It's not just bad," Dirk Cresswell spoke up. "It's evil."

Lily felt frustrated. Did everyone think she was stupid? Did everyone think she _liked_ being called a mudblood in front of a room full of people she was supposed to impress?

"I _know_ that, thank you Dirk…"

"My aunt Geraldine married a muggleborn," Alice said quietly. "My uncle Arnie. He worked for the ministry. They - - - The Death Eaters, I mean - - - they killed him and my auntie for good measure. My mum and I found the Dark Mark. It was terrible…"

Alice put her head in her hands and Frank quickly moved to comfort her.

"She should never be allowed back here," He growled. "She should be expelled for what she said."

The rest of The Slug Club shifted uncomfortably. It seemed that calling for the expulsion of one of their own was going too far.

Lucretia was still breathing heavily as she grabbed Lily's arm and dragged her out of the room. When they got outside, Lucretia pulled Lily into a deep hug.

"Everyone has always thought that I was like them," Lucretia hissed. "But I'm _not_, Lily. I'm not like them. I don't care who knows."

"Who is _them_?" Lily asked.

"The Purebloods," Lucretia spat. "Some of them - - - many of them, even - - - are just Death Eaters in training. I've been watching it for years now. It's You Know Who. He's infected them all."

Lily continued to rub Lucretia's back while she cried; feeling once again like she was so inexorably far from it all. Was she really expected to fight? What could she do in the face of thousands of years of prejudice? How could she, a girl of fifteen, be expected to take part in a war? She was fifteen. She hadn't even finished school. She was _just a girl_.

But she was getting older every day.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As the week of Slughorn's party drew to a close, the entire school could hardly talk about anything else. Even Lily felt the pressure mounting as she realized that the party was only two days away and she hadn't found a partner. It didn't usually matter much to Lily if she went with a date or alone, but ever since Greta's outburst she had felt a particular pressure to bring a date.

"I can't believe Slughorn is still letting her come!" Lucretia raged. "He actually blamed it on the wine! Can you believe that? You know what my mother always says, a drunk wizard's words are a sober wizard's thoughts…."

Lily could hardly listen to Lucretia's ranting anymore. She needed to focus on getting a date.

"Have you decided who you're going with yet?" Lucretia asked, as if it were that easy. "I had to turn down Richard Darby yesterday."

"Oi, Rivers! Evans!"

The girls turned around to see Sirius Black and James Potter striding casually across the law. Lucretia quickly smoothed her hair.

"Hello, Sirius." She smiled spectacularly.

Lily stood awkwardly by her side, directly across from James. She felt him shift uncomfortably in her presence, but she wasn't going to say anything to him. She wasn't going to let him know that she had found herself, on more than one occasion, making herself sick thinking of James and Greta in the dark corners of Slughorn's party.

The four teenagers stood staring at each other for another moment before Lucretia spoke again.

"Did you need something?" She asked. "Because Lily and I were just leaving. We have party plans to make, you see."

"Right," Sirius said gruffly. "That's what I was hoping to talk to you about."

Sirius' eyes were locked on Lucretia's shoes, while Lucretia practically glowed with anticipation. Lily and James made eye contact. Both of them had to hold back a laugh. Neither of them were used to seeing their friends so uncomfortable.

"Well," Sirius began. "You know, I'd heard you didn't have a date yet and, well, I haven't been invited…"

Lily was sure that if Lucretia got any happier she would float into the air and they'd lose her in the Forbidden Forest.

"And well, The Slug Club seems like a terrible time for the most part, and I imagine you'd like the company," Sirius was regaining his casual air. "So, if you need the company, I could take you."

"Alright then," Lucretia answered, equally casual. "I'm wearing blue."

"What?" Sirius asked.

"I'm wearing blue." Lucretia repeated.

"Yeah I heard you the first time, but why are you telling me?" Sirius said gruffly.

Lucretia sighed, "So that we can _match_, obviously. Honestly, Lil, its like we have to tell them everything."

Sirius opened his mouth in indignation but Lurcetia cut across him, "Walk with me to Potions?" She asked.

Sirius was taken completely off guard. Once again, Lucretia spoke before he had a chance.

"Oh just come on!" She grabbed him by the arm and marched him into the castle leaving James and Lily alone.

"Those two…" James shook his head.

"They're going to tear this place apart." Lily said.

The two laughed together and when they were finished stood in awkward silence. James rumpled up his hair. Lily twirled her ponytail.

James cleared his throat.

"Are you looking forward to Slughorn's party?" James asked.

Lily felt a surge of anger. How could he ask her that? What does it matter to him?

"Yes," Lily sniffed. "I hear your'e going with Greta Catchlove."

James ruffled his hair again, "Yeah. I just figured, you know, might as well try to go to a party…"

"That's romantic." Lily scoffed.

"Well who are you going with, then?" He asked.

Lily paused. For some reason, she felt very reluctant to let James know that she still hadn't found a date. She certainly didn't want him to think that in his absence nobody would ask her. She would have to tell him something...

"Severus," She answered quickly. "Severus is my date."

James struggled with this information. Her use of the word "date" seemed to have particularly affected him.

"Oh…" His face was strained. "And that's romantic, is it?"

"No!" Lily practically cried. "We're going as friends!"

James laughed, "Well its hardly a date, then. A date requires _romance_, Evans."

"I know what a date is." Lily said between gritted teeth.

"Well, I won't blame you for not getting romantic with Old Snivelly…"

"Don't call him that!" Lily cut in.

"Well good for you," James said angrily. "I'll see you there, then."

Before Lily could answer, he turned on his heels and stormed into the caste. Lily was left standing in the crisp winter breeze. Her feelings about James Potter were getting complicated. That much she knew.

Why had he gotten so deep under her skin? What was it about him that made her feel like she was standing on shaky ground whenever she was near him?

_I'm going to have to tell Severus_. Lily thought. The idea that James would get to him first and discover that she'd lied about them going together was almost unbearable.

She met him just outside their Potions classroom, standing around in a huddle of Slytherin boys.

"Severus?" She approached the group and felt an immediate chill. The boys surrounding him, Avery, Mulciber, Wilkes, and Mulciber, all eyed Lily with disdain. Lily shifted uncomfortably under their gaze.

She cleared her throat.

"Sev, could I have a minute?" She asked.

His gaze flicked between Lily and the boys surrounding him, "Of course."

He pulled her quickly into an adjacent corridor.

"What is it?" He whispered.

"Jesus Sev, I just wanted to talk a moment." Lily said, pulling her arm out of his grasp.

"Of course," He said quickly. "Sorry."

"You know, I get that your friends don't much care for Gryffindors but they don't have to stare me down every time i come say hello to you."

"Right," Severus' eyes were locked on Lily's feet. "They just don't like Gryffindors is all.."

"Well I think that's ridiculous. You know, Lucretia is friends with loads of people from other houses- - -"

"Lucretia Rivers thinks she can do whatever she wants because she's blood royalty." He replied bitterly.

"She can do whatever she wants and it has nothing to do with blood!" Lily replied.

"Yeah well people can only take so much, Lily, and turning down half of Slytherin just to go to Slughorn's Party with Sirius Black might have finally brought her down a peg…"

The mention of Slughorn's Party snapped Lily back to the task at hand. She was almost sure she could hear James Potter and his friends laughing loudly just around the corner.

"Well if you're upset about Gryffindors and Slytherins going to Slughorn's Party together then I suppose there's no point in us continuing this conversation because I was going to ask you to come with me." Lily said.

The change in Snape was immediate. His sallow cheeks flushed red. He seemed to be straining against his usual slouch to stand up straighter. His eyes finally locked on Lily's.

"W- - - what?" He stammered.

"I need you to come to Slughorn's party with me," She repeated. "You see, James Potter was giving me a hard time because he's going with that _awful_ Greta Catchlove and I didn't want to tell him that I didn't have a date so when he aced me who I was going with I just said you because, well, you were the first boy I could think of…"

Lily laughed, but Snape seemed unamused. His usual slouch returned.

"Why don't you just go with Potter? You know thats what he wants…" He said through gritted teeth.

"I don't _want_ to go with James Potter he's a complete git," Lily replied dismissively. "Besides, it'll be fun."

Snape shrugged, "I don't care for parties. I can't dance or anything anyway either..."

Lily grabbed her friend's hand, "Please, Sev. I don't want to go with anyone else. and I promise you won't make me dance."

He smiled and Lily knew that she had won. Severus was very withholding with his smiles.


End file.
